


A Struck Match

by Onceyourempire



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: M/M, Public Nudity, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 13:25:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2813543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onceyourempire/pseuds/Onceyourempire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It only took five bandits to beat Hawke and strip him of all of his equipment -- but he was going to say it was at least twenty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Struck Match

**Author's Note:**

> I had. I had a dream. About this. Except in the dream it turned into porn? So i woke up and wrote half of this and fell asleep and woke up and couldn't figure out how to make it into porn so now this is going to be. Multiple chapters. 
> 
> Shout out to my housemate Stacy who heard I was writing DA fic finally and got excited. She was probably expecting something less strange than this. Xoxoxo stace

Hawke's feet hurt but he refuses to stop running. He is not going to let anyone find him naked in Hightown at night. He's done a lot of questionable things but he has too much pride to be caught with his drawers down in a literal sense.

It had been raining when he'd left the Hanged Man that evening. He'd decided to part early and refused to let anyone walk him home, despite bandit activity being on the rise. His exact words had been "I laugh in the face of danger, Aveline" and "It would break my heart to see any of your pretty heads get wet."

The Maker hates a grandstander, so he was no more than five minutes into Hightown when he was ambushed by five or so bandits (though when he told Varric about this later, he was going to say at least twenty). He was tired, alone, and forgot that fire magic doesn't do well when it's raining. They beat him throughly and took anything of value, including his staff and armor. The underclothes they took because they thought it was funny. He'd started to run home as soon as he could stand without stumbling. It hadn't stopped raining the whole time.

"They'll see what funny is when I go retrieve all my things with Aveline and Fenris." Hawke thought sourly, slowing down to turn a corner, "Hopefully he'll start up the glowing before we kick the door down. That'll look good."

"Messere Hawke?"

Hawke stopped dead and covered his junk with his hands as fast as he could. Before him, looking like he was failing to hold in laughter, was Knight-Captain Cullen.

"Knight-Captain!" Hawke replied brightly, ready to joke his way to freedom, "Lovely weather we're having. There's a great breeze coming through town, wouldn't you agree?"

Cullen coughed to cover his laugh and Hawke grinned.

"If there is, I don't think I'm feeling it quite as strongly as you are. Any reason why you're --" he paused and then gestured to all of Hawke.

"Naked?"

"Yes. If it's just for fun, I'm fairly certain that's illegal, though I don't relish dragging you into the guard station like this." Cullen's lips twitched into a smile.

"Lair. I saw that smile. You'd enjoy it a little."

Cullen looked away, towards the roofs, and a small smile crossed his face again.

"Anyway, this isn't for kicks. I got attacked by some bandit group in town. They'll sell anything these days, you know. I'm sure the knickers of the Champion will go for a great price."

Cullen looked back at him again, and now the easy smile stayed on his lips.

"I'm surprised they even got close enough to take your armor. You didn't burn them?"

"Knight-Captain Cullen, that would imply that I'm an apostate, which I most certainly am not."

"You carry a staff and rain down fire in the middle of town."

"Lots of freak fire storms recently. The staff is a walking stick."

"You carry it on your back."

Hawke gave Cullen a big grin and shrugged as best as he could without moving his hands. Cullen sighed but his smile didn't fade.

"Anyway," Hawke continued, "fire magic doesn't work well in the rain. Goes out as soon as it hits the air. I forgot. I don't think they did."

"Ah, of course." 

They stood in silence for a good minute, which felt very long with Cullen standing there looking at him with a hand above his eyes to keep the rain out. Hawke felt like he was being examined, and he was sure his embarassment at the whole situation was showing. He swallowed.

"As exciting as this is, Cullen, I'd really like to scamper on home now. Finish my sprint of shame, so on."

Cullen coughed and looked away, then began to fuss with his strange templar skirt. Hawke was sure it had a proper name but he was honestly more interested in why Cullen appeared to be detaching it from the rest of his armor.

Cullen offered it to Hawke and looked away.

"It's not real clothes but it's better than nothing." Cullen said.

Huh. Hawke took it quickly and wrapped it around his waist, tucking it firmly into itself.

"Thank you." He said, sincere and joke-free for the first time during this entire conversation. There was a slight silence while Cullen looked back at him and smiled again. Hawke smiled back, but couldn't stop himself from making another joke.

"Perhaps mages and templars really can get along after all."

Cullen heaved a sigh but his nose crinkled in a supressed laugh. 

"I thought you weren't a mage."

"I _said_ I wasn't an apostate."

Cullen looked ready to argue, but just crossed his arms instead. He looked uncomfortable, and hesitated before speaking.

"Do you want me to come home with you?"

Cullen looked like he instantly regretted his phrasing and Hawke hooted with laughter before he could stop himself.

"I meant, walk home with you. You're still an easy target and I couldn't -- you know I didn't mean --" Cullen was clearly struggling with his words, and instead of trying to finish the sentence, he gave an uncomfortable fake laugh.

It was sweet. Knight-Captain Cullen was sweet. Who knew.

"Sure. I'd appreciate the help." Hawke said, and walked past Cullen, stopping briefly beside him to put a hand on his arm. "You're a good man."

"I try." Cullen replied, humble but smiling all the same.

Hawke kicked up a puddle at him on the way back and Cullen just laughed.

A good man, indeed

**Author's Note:**

> I'm doing discounted writing commissions right now! It's $3 per 500 words instead of $5, and it's going through january 1st! If you're interested please email me at boyvandals@gmail.com :0


End file.
